The invention relates to a method for effecting transactions through a telecommunications network by means of a smart card and telecommunication terminals. It also relates to smart cards and terminals for implementing the method. It finds many applications in monetary transactions, electronic purses and transactions relating to health and gaming. The telecommunications networks concerned are all networks liable to be used by a telephone subscriber in order to have access to another subscriber or to services. Amongst these networks, telephone networks, switched networks or ISDN and cellular telephone networks can be cited.
The new generation of telecommunication terminals provides for these terminals to be equipped with two smart card reading interfaces, one for communicating with a subscriber identification smart card dedicated to telephony, such as for example SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) cards in the case of the cellular telecommunication system and the other for a smart card (application card) dedicated to one or more applications such as telephony. It may for example be a case of an electronic purse card.
Smart cards dedicated to one or more applications other than telephony can be issued by completely independent operators and communication with these applications cards is established in accordance with distinct protocols.
It consequently proves necessary for this new generation of telecommunication terminals to support sets of commands applying these different types of applications cards (for example banking application or loyalty application).
This is very constraining for service providers who must because of this be bound to a terminal manufacturer in order to offer their applications to their customers.
In addition, this imposes a limitation in the choice of applications cards which can be used with a given telecommunication terminal, to those which were provided initially, otherwise it would be necessary to modify the terminal software.
The present invention remedies these problems.
The first objective of the invention is not to burden the communication logic interfaces of the terminal whilst enabling it to accept any application card, by introducing communication means to any subscriber identification card dedicated to telephony to enable it to control any application card through the telecommunication terminal.
Another object of the invention is more particularly a method for effecting transactions through a telecommunication network by means of smart cards and telecommunication terminals for access to the network provided with at least two smart card reading interfaces, one for receiving a subscriber identification smart card dedicated to telephony, the other for receiving an additional smart card dedicated to one or more applications other than telephony; characterized in that the subscriber identification smart card communicates with the additional card via the terminal, by means of a set of commands intended to control the said additional card, these commands being preformatted by the subscriber identification card according to the format of the communication protocol of the additional card and transmitted by the terminal in accordance with the transportation protocol of the latter.
Another object of the invention is a subscriber identification telephone smart card, characterized in that it has means of communicating with an additional card dedicated to one or more applications other than telephony, via a telecommunication terminal provided with at least two smart card reading interfaces, one for receiving the subscriber identification smart card dedicated to telephony and the other for receiving the additional smart card, these means comprising a set of commands intended to control the additional card, the said commands being preformatted by the subscriber identification card according to the format (APDU) of the communication protocol of the additional card and transmitted by the terminal according to the transportation protocol of the latter.
Another object of the invention is a telecommunication terminal for access to the network provided with at least two smart card reading interfaces, one for receiving a subscriber identification smart card dedicated to telephony, the other for receiving an additional smart card dedicated to one or more applications other than telephony, characterized in that it has:
means adapted for receiving commands sent by the subscriber identification card according to the transportation protocol of the said terminal and intended to control the additional card, the said commands being preformatted by the subscriber identification card according to the format of the communication protocol of the additional card,
means for transmitting, amongst these commands, the commands xe2x80x9csend incoming/outgoing command card 211 to the additional card as preformatted,
means for executing, amongst these commands, the commands xe2x80x9cswitch card 2 on/offxe2x80x9d,
means for sending a command xe2x80x9ccard 2 presentxe2x80x9d to the subscriber identification card.